Punchestown and Tramore previews: With a coughing epidemic in Irish stables trainers are having to make substantial revisions to long laid running plans.
So badly hit is the reigning National Hunt title-holder, Noel Meade, he is without a runner at any of the four meetings that span the New Year and this is something that is likely to extend into 2004.
Like all trainers of experience Meade appreciates that horses which have hard races when the virus is at an incubation stage can take a long time to recover and indeed it has been known some never to live up to the promise they had shown previously.
Two stables that so far seem to have escaped are those of Francis Flood and Michael O'Brien and both of them are in line for New Year's Eve doubles at opposite ends of the Punchestown card. Francis puts his faith in two hurdlers Adonia (12-45) and GVA Ireland (1-15).
The former ran creditably in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown, taking fourth place to Honest Yer Honour whose recent form ties in with the much discussed Brave Inca. GVA Ireland, short-priced, was beaten when he made a mistake at the last flight at Leopardstown and even a clean leap would only have narrowed the margin of defeat at the hands of a current rival Joseph Vernet.
O'Brien has booked the services of Paul Carberry for Commonchero (2-45), while the second leg of his double could materialise with Breach Of Trust in the bumper (3-45).
Commonchero won the valuable Ladbroke Racing Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse as a prelude to going chasing. It was a baptism of fire as he was lucky to escape being knocked over at the sixth fence at Cork and thereafter had too much ground to recover to threaten the leaders headed by Mossy Green.
Breach Of Trust was a well supported first timer at Cork but early in the straight came under pressure and had to be content with a third placing to Beauchamp Gigi.
Snapper Creek (2-0) looks a banker at Tramore while Killaloe may well turn out to be a typically well-managed Donie Hassett gamble in the Newtown Handicap Chase (3-0).
